$15.3-million in road upgrades announced for Trans-Labrador Highway

FORTEAU, NL – The federal and provincial governments have announced a combined investment of approximately $15.3 million for major upgrades to Route 510 on the Trans-Labrador Highway.

The announcement was made at an event in Forteau Tuesday, Oct. 10. Premier Dwight Ball and Labrador MP Yvonne Jones, on behalf of Infrastructure and Communities Minister Amarjeet Sohi, provided details on the project. The work will include extensive repaving from the Quebec border to Pinware, guiderail replacement, and culvert and ditch excavation. Once completed, the project will improve overall road safety, extend the route’s useful lifespan by a decade, and contribute to the long-term growth and prosperity of the surrounding communities, according to a provincial government press release. “The Trans-Labrador Highway is an integral part of Labrador’s transportation network,” Ball stated. “It links communities and provides new economic opportunities. “My government is committed to the completion of the Trans-Labrador Highway so that residents and visitors can travel across Labrador and explore all the opportunities that exist in the Big Land.” The provincial government is contributing more than $8.1 million towards the work, while the federal government is providing over $7.1 million through the Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component – National and Regional Projects (PTIC-NRP). This project is one of seven roadway components slated for improvement as part of the $33-million Road Rehabilitation and Resurfacing Project for Newfoundland and Labrador. Steve Crocker, NL’s minister of Transportation and Works, and Lisa Dempster, minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development and MHA for Cartwright-L’Anse au Clair, also attended the announcement.